For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the immediate focus is on winning another championship. After a shaky, injury-riddled mid-season patch, they have found themselves getting healthier at the perfect time.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell back in the fold, they've now won 10 games in a row. Their blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night was just the latest in a string of dominant performances.
But all dominant teams must face a harsh reality under the new CBA. With extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams kicking in this offseason, they will need undergo a roster reset in order to skirt harsh second-apron penalties.
The most prevalent of these choices are the club options that both Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort possess. Hartenstein's is for $28 million, while Dort's is for $18 million. In an ideal world, both players are brought back. That won't be the reality this offseason.
Yet there is another factor to consider here. A beloved Thunder veteran, eighth-year forward Kenrich Williams, also possesses a club option this offseason. If his role over this last stretch of games is any indication, his time with Oklahoma City could rapidly be coming to an end.
Kenrich Williams could be the Thunder's simplest cap casualty this summer
Since his arrival via trade in 2020, Williams has developed a role as a capable rotational player with the Thunder. Since 2021-22, he has not averaged less than seven rebounds per 36 minutes on the court, and he's always capable of giving the team solid minutes when called upon.
But with the financial restrictions the Thunder will face this offseason, declining Williams' $7 million club option might be the easiest choice they make.
Williams has actually had quite a productive season considering his limited role. Through 46 games, he's averaging 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.6% from beyond the arc. But it's clear that there's little room for him to carve out a larger role give the way the Thunder have distributed their frontcourt minutes.
Prior to last night's game against Brooklyn, Williams had received three straight DNPs. He also did not see the floor against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 27.
Williams was already a limited part of the Thunder's playoff rotation last season. It seems as though, this time around, his role could be cut out almost entirely.
As unfortunate as it is, contending teams must cycle through role players in order to pay their stars. As valuable as Williams has been for Oklahoma City over the years, it's looking like he could be the first true casualty of their new era.